Chapter 153: Confrontation
Dr. Zahn Neri inford Yeri that her dical test results weren’t dire and that there were no further complications. In fact, he advised that she could continue her recovery at ho.
Madam Zhi, however, was hesitant, her brows drawn tight with worry. But Yeri quickly reassured her mother, insisting she’d feel better resting at ho rather than in the hospital.
Since a renowned doctor like Zahn himself had recomnded it, Madam Zhi finally agreed and went to process her daughter’s discharge papers.
The mont they were alone, Zahn took the opportunity he’d clearly been waiting for.
"Did Lianna ever talk about..." He paused, as though searching for the right word.
"About the two of you?" Yeri finished for him, her tone calm. When he looked at her in surprise, she nodded. "I don’t know everything, but I know enough."
Zahn studied her quietly, his sharp gaze assessing how much she truly knew and why Lianna had trusted her at all.
"How long have you two been in contact?" he finally asked, his expression unreadable.
"Not long," Yeri replied, almost casually. "When you saw us at the Brizola restaurant, that was only the second ti we’d hung out." She paused, then added, "I’m not sure if Dr. Neri is aware, but after you and Sister Lianna got married, she lost touch with most of her friends. She probably just needed soone to talk to."
Zahn’s jaw tightened. It took a few seconds before he spoke again, his voice cool and restrained.
"Have you ever considered her purpose in approaching you?"
Yeri gave a soft, mirthless chuckle. Her eyes glinted with sothing between amusent and pity. "Believe it or not, I’m confident in my ability to see through people’s intentions. Sister Lianna didn’t approach
because of my connection to Young Master Keir." Her gaze t his directly. "As her husband and childhood friend, shouldn’t you know her better than anyone?"
A faint shadow crossed Zahn’s expression before he looked away.
"Dr. Neri," Yeri continued, her voice quieter but sharper now, "I know I’m in no position to interfere in your personal life, and perhaps I shouldn’t say this. But just because you haven’t done anything doesn’t an you’re innocent. You’ve healed countless patients, yet sohow, you couldn’t heal the one beside you... or did you just choose not to see it?"
Zahn’s eyes narrowed, his tone cool but edged. "You said yourself you don’t know much, Miss Zhi. I hope, for your own sake, that this ti you don’t interfere and focus on your recovery instead."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned toward the door.
Just as he reached it, Yeri’s voice stopped him, soft, but carrying weight.
"People bleed when they’re hurt... but what if it happens too often? Do they beco numb, or do they finally choose to fight back? Even the strongest soldier will fall if he keeps ignoring his wounds, right?"
Zahn froze for a fraction of a second, then continued walking, saying nothing. To him, it was easier to believe she was rely talking nonsense.
Yet once he stepped outside and the door clicked shut behind him, the silence pressed heavily on his chest.
He loosened the collar of his white coat, his steps steady but his thoughts far from calm. Yeri’s words lingered, each one cutting deeper the more he tried to brush them off.
"Just because you haven’t done anything doesn’t an you’re innocent."
He’d heard countless accusations in his life from patients’ families, rival doctors, even Lianna herself but never had a stranger’s voice carried such weight.
It shouldn’t have mattered. Yeri Zhi was young, and barely know Lianna.
What did she know?
And yet... that question she asked before he left, it hit too close.
Do they beco numb, or do they finally choose to fight back?
His hand tightened unconsciously at his side.
Lianna’s face flashed in his mory...her soft smile, the quiet way she used to wait for him after long shifts, the silence that had slowly replaced her laughter.
He’d told himself he was giving her space, respecting her independence but what if he had simply abandoned her behind the walls of his pride?
He exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face as if to wipe away the thought. "Ridiculous," he muttered under his breath, forcing his composure back.
He was a man of logic, not emotion.
Straightening his coat, Zahn strode down the corridor, his expression once again unreadable.
---
anwhile, Yeri sneered under her breath, repeating Zahn’s parting words mockingly.
"Focus on your recovery instead... hmph!"
If she hadn’t entered Lianna’s mories, hadn’t seen, heard, and felt what Lianna endured, she might have dismissed Zahn Neri as just another cold, workaholic husband. But now she knew better.
The way he reacted, so composed, so detached, it wasn’t strength but rather denial.
Was he truly ignorant of what his wife had gone through?
Or had he simply chosen to delude himself into believing everything was fine?
Yeri’s expression darkened slightly. As soone who had personally experienced Lianna’s despair, she understood it wasn’t sothing born from a single argunt or misunderstanding.
It was an accumulation, layer upon layer of disappointnt, humiliation, loneliness, and pain. A slow erosion of spirit caused not by a single wound, but by a thousand small ones ignored.
Just then, the soft chi of her phone interrupted her thoughts. She glanced down and noticed a new email, it was from Saeki Jie.
Her mouth twitched. ’Why does this man always act so familiar with ?’
True to his nosy nature, Saeki, ever the gossip enthusiast had sent people to investigate what happened before Lianna visited Yeri days ago. The report detailed the incident at Lianna’s son’s birthday party.
Yeri skimd through it with little reaction. She didn’t need this information anymore; she had already seen what happened firsthand through Lianna’s mories.
After a brief pause, she typed a reply:
[Thank you for sharing this with , Young Master Jie. Do you have any information about the drugging incident involving Dr. Neri?]
It didn’t take long for Saeki to respond.
[Still working on it. It’s hard to find concrete evidence since it’s been too long, and the trail’s probably been cleaned up. Besides, I have to move carefully. If Zahn catches wind I’m digging into this, things might get... complicated.]
Yeri’s fingers hovered over the screen, debating how to respond when her hospital door suddenly opened.
A nurse peeked in with a polite smile. "Miss Zhi, you have a visitor."
Yeri blinked, montarily stunned. "A visitor?"
When the nurse stepped aside, revealing the guest, Yeri’s surprise deepened.
Lucia Hera stood in the doorway, looking equally shocked. Her gaze swept over Yeri’s frail fra, a flicker of uneasiness crossing her face.
Yeri adjusted her posture and gave a faint, knowing smile. "I thought you wouldn’t co," she said calmly. "Miss Lucia Hera, right?"
Lucia nodded as she couldn’t help but admit, Yeri was strikingly beautiful, even in her sickly state.
Maybe that was why she’d been so eager to fra her back then at Café Zhillion, convinced Yeri was a tough rival.
Once the nurse left, Lucia allowed herself a proper look around. She’d never been inside this hospital before. The state-of-the-art dical equipnt, the luxurious room, the professional staff, staying here for even a single day must cost a fortune.
"Don’t worry," Yeri said softly, still looking out the window. "There are no caras or surveillance here. Unless, of course, you’re secretly filming."
Lucia gave an awkward smile. "I’m not worried about that."
She didn’t confirm or denynif she had a hidden cara.
Yeri’s gaze remained outside, her pale profile faintly reflected in the glass. "The doctor cleared
for discharge today. Had you decided not to co, you might have missed
entirely."
"Then what a great coincidence," Lucia replied lightly, stepping closer. She glanced around the room again before sitting on the chair beside Yeri’s bed. "This place looks expensive. Must be nice being born into a wealthy family, right?"
Yeri wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Her tone was neutral but direct. "I don’t think we’re familiar enough to discuss our families. As far as I know, we never t or interacted before that incident at my family’s café. Since then, you’ve been targeting . Why?"
Lucia blinked. She hadn’t expected Yeri to be so blunt but her words weren’t condescending. If anything, they were matter-of-fact.
"I’m not targeting you. It was a misunderstanding," she said quickly. "Back then, a lot was going on in my life, and I blad you blindly. It was my fault. I know it was wrong to use you as an outlet for my frustration... I truly regret it."
Yeri frowned slightly. Lucia’s words didn’t match her actions.
Back at Café Zhillion, she had been deliberate framing her then slandering her in a livestream, enjoying the uproar she’d created.
Then, just as suddenly, she’d issued a public apology that felt forced, as if directed to soone else entirely.
Even now, her tone sounded halfhearted, more trapped than remorseful.
Sighing, Yeri leaned back against the headboard. "Who is it?"
Lucia blinked. "What?"
"I looked into your account," Yeri said quietly. "You’re confident, ambitious, self-driven. Most of your posts flaunt your colorful, high-end lifestyle. In my impression, you’re soone who wouldn’t lower her head easily. Even if I’m soone you couldn’t afford to offend, you’d rather find a powerful benefactor to protect you than apologize to . Am I wrong? After all, even now, you can’t hide the dislike in your eyes."
Lucia froze, her lashes fluttering as she dropped her gaze. "I... I don’t know what you’re talking about. Even if Miss Zhi has a low impression of , how could you say I’d rely on soone else?"
Yeri almost rolled her eyes. Wasn’t that exactly the case? Hadn’t KGG already exposed her misconduct at work, her "connections" with senior employees despite them being married?
Soone who had tasted luxury for so long would find hardship unbearable.
"Compared to what’s already public about you," Yeri said evenly, "don’t you think I have a right to know why you’re constantly seeking
out? Disturbing my privacy? Using netizens to harass my family? If I forgive you now, will the person behind you finally stop?"
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